TECHNICALLY, Moritz Jenz is only due to be at Celtic until the end of the season. If he has it his way though, the loan deal that brought him to the club from Lorient will soon be traded for something a little more permanent.
Jenz is having the time of his life at Celtic, with the centre-back loving the style of play favoured by manager Ange Postecoglou and the experience of plying his trade at such a big club.
On top of that, he has formed what he feels is a special relationship with fellow centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers both on and off the park, and that their partnership at the heart of the Celtic backline can be a bedrock for the team to be built upon for years to come.
“I feel I have adapted to Scottish football really quickly,” Jenz said.
“I really enjoy it here, and I am really enjoying my time at Celtic. I feel very much at home.
“I keep saying it, but every day is a dream! I really enjoy it, and hopefully it can continue for many, many more seasons.
“Me and Cameron have a fantastic partnership, we feel very good together. We have a very good relationship both on and off the field, and on the pitch that shows.
“I am hoping we can continue this partnership for a long time and continue to be a strong and solid partnership for many, many more seasons.
“My career is still very fresh, but at the moment, I would definitely say he is one of the best centre-backs I have played with so far.
“He’s a fantastic guy, he’s very professional and very solid and he barely makes any mistakes.
“He’s a really reliable guy, so for me he is a fantastic player and he can grow even more in the future.”
Jenz himself has grown into the Celtic jersey in his short time in Scotland, and in recent weeks, has shown his growing comfort living up to the demands that Postecoglou places upon his centre-backs.
His passing range, particularly stepping out from the left centre-back position in the 6-1 win over Hibernian last week, has been particularly impressive, and he revealed that was one of the reasons the Celtic manager brought him to the club in the first place.
“I have had to adapt because in my previous club in France, we played a completely different style of football,” he said.
“The style was very defensive, so there weren’t many opportunities to show the skillset that I have.
“The gaffer is perfect for me, because I can now show the way I can play and it suits my game.
“In training, I always work on playing the forward pass, and also getting it into the strikers so we can link up the play very quickly. It’s really good for the team and it is really good for me.
“Because of that [he signed me], and because of the idea and the philosophy that he has.
“He plays great football, it’s all about playing out from the back and being brave, stepping in front of the line.
“That is the reason why I came here and why I believe in the project, so it is a perfect fit for me.”
What has also helped Jenz settle in Scotland is the way his partner has taken to life here. Steffani Milan, who is a singer and songwriter, is now a fully-fledged Celtic supporter, and posted a tongue-in-cheek message on her Instagram during the week congratulating Real Madrid star Karim Benzema on his Ballon D’or win, despite her husband ‘pocketing’ him at Celtic Park.
“I haven’t seen the post but my teammates have just been telling me!” Jenz laughed.
“I think my wife was making a nice joke after he won the Ballon D’or. He’s the best striker in the world at the moment and it was a nice experience to play against him. Hopefully I can face him again and get a positive result in Madrid.
“Going into these games, you have to grow an inch more. You have to be more careful going into the games, and analyse their movements a lot more to know how they behave because they are so different.
“They are more clever with their movements in behind, they are less physical, have nifty touches and combinations, it’s a whole different game.
“You have to be much more focused.”
